Utah news

• Volunteers needed to knit or crochet red caps for babies

  29-12-2017 23:56
  SALT LAKE CITY — The American Heart Association and The Children's Heart Foundation are looking for volunteers who can create tiny red hats for babies born in February, designated as American Heart Month.
  The project — dubbed "Little Hats, Big Hearts" — aims to spread awareness about heart disease and congenital heart defects, which affect about 40,000 babies born in the country each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
  Come February, the caps will
  
  Read more

• Utah state Sen. Kevin Van Tassell won't seek re-election

  29-12-2017 23:48
  SALT LAKE CITY — Sen. Kevin Van Tassell, R-Vernal, says he won't seek a new term in the Utah Legislature next year.
  Van Tassell said in a statement Friday that there are other things he wants to do with his life after finishing his current term. He has served in the Legislature since 2006.
  Van Tassell, the Senate budget vice chairman, also serves as an area president for three branches of Zions Bank in northeastern Utah.
  
  Read more

• Utah teacher fired after students see nudity in art

  29-12-2017 23:29
  HYRUM, Cache County — A Cache County art teacher was fired amid complaints that images of classical paintings containing nudity were passed out in a classroom and seen by sixth-graders.
  Mateo Rueda said he wasn't aware that a set of educational postcards from the elementary school library contained a few works depicting nudity when he handed them out during a lesson, the Herald Journal reported.
  Rueda removed the cards when they made students uncomfortable, the paper reported.
  "This is not
  
  Read more

• Student busted for allegedly selling pot cookies at school

  29-12-2017 23:23
  DRAPER — An 18-year-old student is facing school discipline and possible criminal charges for allegedly selling marijuana-laced cookies in his school.
  On Nov. 20, a student at Corner Canyon High School, 12943 S. 700 East, went to class where a teacher "smelled the strong odor" of marijuana coming from the student, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit filed in 3rd District Court.
  The student was questioned by school administrators and the school resource officer who fou
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• New Utah laws: Extra hotel tax, end of car safety checks

  29-12-2017 23:04
  
  Utah drivers in 2018 will save some money after lawmakers eliminated a required car safety check, but visitors to hotels, motels and campgrounds will feel a slight pinch in their pocketbooks under a new tax.
  
  Read more

• Girl found wandering as mother lay dead is back with family

  29-12-2017 23:02
  OGDEN — As police continue to investigate the death of a mother in her home, relatives say her daughter is safe with other family members.
  On Wednesday, a 4-year-old girl was found without a jacket or shoes and only wearing her pajamas at a snow-covered park across the street from the Marshall White Community Center. A good Samaritan spotted the girl and took her to the center for shelter and called police.
  Police say the girl led them across the street to an apartment complex where they f
  
  Read more

• 53-year-old man dies after being hit by vehicle on Redwood Road

  29-12-2017 20:28
  
  A 53-year-old man died after being hit by a vehicle Friday morning and Redwood Road near 6200 South was closed for several hours, Unified police said.
  
  Read more

• High-speed chase results in 2 arrests, safe full of meth

  29-12-2017 19:55
  
  A high-speed chase through two counties that reached speeds of 115 mph ended with the arrests of two people and the recovery of 10 pounds of meth, according to the Utah Highway Patrol.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Freeway gunman had hit list, wanted to shoot officers, police say

  29-12-2017 19:43
  PROVO — A man accused of shooting at police officers on I-15, hitting one bystander and a second vehicle, claims he had a "mental" hit list and that God wanted him to kill a police officer, according to court documents.
  Arturo Gallemore-Jimenez, 37, of Clearfield, was shot by police following a shootout and freeway chase between Springville and Orem on Dec. 20. He was hospitalized for his injuries, then transferred to the Salt Lake County Jail on Dec. 22.
  Gallemore was charged Friday in 4t
  
  Read more

• It’s really, really cold across North America, but not Utah. Here's why

  29-12-2017 19:03
  Forecasters and health officials have issued warnings about potential frostbite and hypothermia for those caught in the country's nationwide winter chill, according to the Associated Press.
  Temperatures across the Northeast and Midwest dipped as low as minus 32 on Thursday.
  Maine and Arkansas set cold weather records on Thursday, too. Minnesota saw negative 36 degrees on Wednesday. Earlier this week, Erie, Pennsylvania, saw 5 feet of snow.
  And there doesn't seem to be any signs of a warmup, sinc
  
  Read more

• 2 arrested after pursuit ends in Brigham City

  29-12-2017 19:02
  
  A man suspected to be involved in a pursuit in Tremonton last week was arrested Thursday after leading officers on another pursuit, police said.
  
  Read more

• 53-year-old man killed after being hit by vehicle on Redwood Road

  29-12-2017 18:56
  
  A 53-year-old man was killed and Redwood Road near 6200 South was closed for several hours after he was hit by a vehicle Friday morning, Unified police said.
  
  Read more

• This mother-daughter duo saved a man's life on a flight to Salt Lake City

  29-12-2017 18:52
  One North Carolina woman didn't have time to worry about her fear of flying on a flight to Salt Lake City. Instead, she and her mother sprang into action on a recent Delta flight to help save a man's life.
  The Citizen-Times reported that Morgan Anderson, of Asheville, North Carolina, forgot all about her fear of flying when she realized a man's life was in danger.
  "I didn't feel like I was in the air, thousands of feet above the world. I just got tunnel vision and focused on him and my mom," Mor
  
  Read more

• Salt Lake woman injured in early morning house fire

  29-12-2017 18:28
  
  A Salt Lake woman was injured while fleeing from her burning house early Friday.
  
  Read more

• Dogs sold online may look friendly, but could be fake

  29-12-2017 17:59
  
  A Sandy woman hoped to raise awareness Thursday about fraudulent online pet sales after two dogs she purchased through a Facebook page never arrived.
  
  Read more

• Man killed in auto-pedestrian crash on Redwood Road

  29-12-2017 17:02
  TAYLORSVILLE — A man crossing Redwood Road was hit and killed early Friday.
  The incident happened just before 7 a.m. near 6200 South. The unidentified victim was taken to a local hospital in very critical condition but was pronounced dead a short time later, said Unified police detective Ken Hansen.
  Investigators were not immediately sure if the man was in a crosswalk. Hansen said the man was hit by a northbound car in the center lane, tossed into the path of UTA bus and was hit a second t
  
  Read more

• 1 killed, Redwood Road closed after pedestrian hit by vehicle

  29-12-2017 16:12
  
  A person was killed and Redwood Road near 6500 South was closed after the pedestrian was hit by a vehicle Friday morning, Unified police said.
  
  Read more

• High-speed chase ends with drug bust near Beaver

  29-12-2017 15:27
  
  A traffic stop on I-15 led to a high-speed chase and drug bust in southern Utah late Thursday night.
  
  Read more

• 1 person injured in house fire near Capitol

  29-12-2017 14:44
  
  One person was injured in a house fire near the state Capitol early Friday. Investigators are still trying to determine the cause.
  
  Read more

• In our opinion: Gerrymandering is a brazen abuse of political power

  29-12-2017 14:05
  A ruling by a federal judge to redraw political districts in Utah’s San Juan County may not be a harbinger of rulings to come in cases of suspected gerrymandering currently under federal judicial review, but it certainly validates concerns that manipulation of voting precincts has occurred to the detriment of voters and a fair electoral process.U.S. District Judge Robert Shelby ordered San Juan County to redraw voting boundaries to give equal voice in local political races to Native Americ
  
  Read more

• Legislator wants tougher law against driving with cellphone in hand

  29-12-2017 07:45
  
  A Utah lawmaker wants drivers to put down their phones while driving. If passed, her bill could assess a driver a $100 fine if they get caught talking with the receiver in their hand.
  
  Read more

• Utah Symphony | Utah Opera gets $1M donation for education outreach

  29-12-2017 06:13
  SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Symphony | Utah Opera has received a $1 million donation from the Lawrence T. & Janet T. Dee Foundation to sustain the symphony and opera's effort to bring classical music to 150,000 Utah students annually.
  "We are immensely grateful to the Lawrence T. & Janet T. Dee Foundation for their commitment to sustaining our art form," Utah Symphony | Utah Opera President and CEO Paul Meecham said in statement announcing the creation of the
  Elizabeth Brown Dee Fund for
  
  Read more

• About Utah: From ranch hand to the president's office ...

  29-12-2017 04:27
  LOGAN — It has become a common sight on the Utah State campus: a tall, slender woman jogging from room to room and building to building in a skirt and high heels, bags and papers in hand.
  This would not be noteworthy except the woman is Noelle Cockett, the president of the university. She has a reputation for being late to meetings, which is why she is frequently seen dashing out of Old Main to the student center or elsewhere to another meeting.
  During her inauguration as the school's 16th
  
  Read more

• Man finds young girl alone in snow; mother found dead in Ogden home

  29-12-2017 04:18
  OGDEN — Police are investigating the death of a woman whose young daughter was found alone in her pajamas at a snow-covered park on Wednesday.
  A passerby spotted the girl, who is 3 or 4 years old, about 5:30 p.m. He brought her across the street to the Marshall White Community Center and called police, said Ogden Police Lt. Clint Christensen.
  When officers arrived, the girl was cold but otherwise appeared to be OK, he said.
  The child told police "her mom was at home laying down," Christens
  
  Read more

• Counties expect to refund property tax prepayments made as a result of new Trump tax plan

  29-12-2017 04:01
  SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake County Treasurer Wayne Cushing said Thursday his office may end up returning some $3 million in property tax prepayments collected from residents hoping for a break under a new federal tax plan.
  That's because the IRS issued an advisory late Wednesday spelling out that property taxes that haven't been assessed before the end of the year can't be deducted on next year's tax returns.
  "This is normally a slower time of the year, but it's been quite busy," Cushing sa
  
  Read more

• Utah’s Podium wants to change the world of small business

  29-12-2017 03:53
  
  If you've ever spent too long reading Google reviews or playing phone tag with a local business — local tech startup Podium wants to change that.
  
  Read more

• 'Be proud': Children from around the world celebrate new U.S. citizenship, hear from Rep. Mia Love

  29-12-2017 03:02
  SALT LAKE CITY — Ten-year-old Jaryd Cueto is grateful to be a brand-new American citizen, but he concedes the adjustment of moving to the United States from Peru recently was not without its challenges.
  "It was hard for me to learn English," Jaryd said Thursday, but he credits the example of his hardworking mother for inspiring him to do so.
  Dressed up for the occasion in a suit coat and tie, Jaryd was one of about a dozen children on hand Thursday at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration S
  
  Read more

• Woman who tried to save her mother from a burning home doing better

  29-12-2017 02:41
  ST. GEORGE — It was a fire with two victims and zero mercy.
  Sara Boatright's mother, 86-year-old Zenetta Winsor Hunt, who had 13 children, died in a house fire Christmas Eve. Evon Hunt, one of Boatright's sisters, was living with her mom and suffered smoke inhalation trying to save her from the burning home.
  The fire started behind Zenetta Hunt's bed. An investigation found a faulty wire in the wall from when the house was built.
  "I guess it was stapled too tight and over the years of cont
  
  Read more

• Utah man admits to slicing officer's ear with lawn ornament in confrontation

  29-12-2017 02:29
  
  A man accused of slicing an officer's ear with a lawn ornament during a confrontation that drew public outcry over police use of force has pleaded guilty.
  
  Read more

• Health exchange sign-ups nearly on par with previous round

  29-12-2017 02:00
  SALT LAKE CITY — The number of Utahns who signed up for health insurance in 2018 via the marketplace established by the Affordable Care Act nearly reached the record number of enrollees the state saw in the previous go-around, new data shows.
  The number of Utahns who signed up for health plans on the federal exchange reached 194,118 by the end of the open enrollment period earlier this month, according to statistics released Thursday by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. That
  
  Read more

• New questions raised about the case of 3 missing Salt Lake men

  29-12-2017 01:53
  SALT LAKE CITY — It's been more than three years since three men mysteriously disappeared in Salt Lake City without much of a trace.
  Levi Collins, 34, Danny "Kiko" Gallegos, 35, and Braden Emerson, 23, were last seen on Nov. 1, 2014. All three men are presumed to be dead. But their bodies have never been found, no arrests have been made and no charges filed.
  But there are a lot of suspicions and allegations.
  The rumors and accusations continue to swirl around two men — Richard Christ
  
  Read more

• Bountiful to begin picking up Christmas trees Jan. 8

  29-12-2017 01:52
  BOUNTIFUL — Crews with the city's Sanitation Department will begin picking up Christmas trees the week of Jan. 8.
  Trees free of lights, decorations and stands should be laid on the curb before 7 a.m. on Monday. Trees will not necessarily be picked up on residents' assigned garbage day.
  Residents are asked not to stand trees in snowbanks, as they could be mistaken for live trees.
  
  Read more

• The pros and cons of the kombucha tea health craze

  29-12-2017 01:48
  
  The pros and cons of the ancient, fizzy and fermented tea beverage.
  
  Read more

• Utah company makes shoes a handsfree endeavor

  29-12-2017 01:47
  SALT LAKE CITY — While everyone knows shoes are worn on your feet, that feat is seldom accomplished without using a little manual dexterity. A Utah County company has developed technology to make putting shoes on a foot-only effort.
  Located in Alpine, KIZIK footwear was founded by Michael Pratt, the former founder and CEO of popular golf bag and backpack maker Ogio International. The footwear startup is paving the way for the future of the shoe industry by introducing a new category of sho
  
  Read more

• Private deal for ex-South Weber councilman resolves embezzlement case without conviction

  29-12-2017 01:46
  FARMINGTON — The long-running embezzlement case against a former South Weber councilman has been privately resolved with no conviction in court.
  William Michael Poff, 44, had been scheduled to appear in court next week for a disposition hearing on charges dating back to March 2014. But instead, the case was quietly brought up in court Dec. 15 and, in a private resolution called a "diversion," was dismissed.
  Poff was charged with three counts of communications fraud, a second-degree felony,
  
  Read more

• Orem police willing to be your designated driver

  29-12-2017 00:52
  OREM — Drinking and driving is nothing to joke about.
  But in a humorous Facebook post announcing a few things New Year's revelers shouldn't do, the Orem Police Department emphasized one thing they should do: Have a designated driver.
  To that end, the department announced it will convert its prisoner transport van into a free taxi service on Saturday and Sunday, picking up and dropping off those who shouldn't get behind the wheel. Those looking for a designated driver can contact Orem polic
  
  Read more

• Bluffdale to hold open house Jan. 4 on 14400 South project

  29-12-2017 00:44
  BLUFDALE — City officials will hold an open house at 6 p.m. on Jan. 4 to discuss landscaping options surrounding a project to widen 14400 South between Redwood Road and 2200 West.
  The meeting will be held at City Hall, 2222 W. 14400 South.
  The project — which aims to improve traffic flow and create sidewalks in the area — will also include a traffic circle at the intersection of 14400 South and 2200 West. In addition, 2200 West will be reconstructed from 13800 South to 15000 So
  
  Read more

• West Jordan fire chief to retire after 23 years in public safety

  29-12-2017 00:36
  WEST JORDAN — Fire Chief Marc McElreath has announced his retirement after 23 years in public safety. Deputy Chief Clint C. Petersen will serve as the interim fire chief effective Monday.
  "It's been an honor to serve as chief and to play a part in the growth our department has experienced over the years," McElreath said in a statement. "We have a great department, and I'm going to miss working with our firefighters."
  According to the statement, when McElreath joined the city's public safet
  
  Read more

• Utah man admits to slicing officer's ear with lawn ornament

  29-12-2017 00:33
  SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah man accused of slicing an officer's ear with a lawn ornament during a confrontation that drew public outcry over police use of force has pleaded guilty.
  Leon Dane Hall, 25, pleaded guilty last week to two counts of assault on a peace officer, a third-degree felony, in a deal with prosecutors. The charges were reduced from second-degree felonies, while an additional count of interfering with an arresting officer, a class B misdemeanor, was dismissed.
  Hall was arreste
  
  Read more

• Police: FBI hate crime report inaccurate due to local errors

  29-12-2017 00:12
  
  Authorities say seven of the 11 hate crimes counted in an annual FBI report for a northern Utah county were misclassified.
  
  Read more

Follow @NewslockerUtah on Twitter!